Senior Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy

Position Title: Senior Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy

Location: Washington, D.C.

Position Type: Full-time, Senior Level

Job Description:

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) is seeking a skilled and passionate senior leader to build, grow, and lead government relations and advocacy efforts nationally and on the ground in Washington, D.C. This critical new position will play a pivotal role in building coalitions and advancing public policies that support the nearly 7 million Americans living with alopecia areata, a common autoimmune disease that causes the uncontrollable loss of hair. The ideal candidate is a proven relationship builder and will have direct experience and demonstrated success in creating evidence-based policy and legislative solutions to drive impactful legislative, regulatory, and advocacy strategies for a disease-focused health advocacy organization. Candidates with expertise in other public policy areas will be considered.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Build a community of high-level federal decision makers, legislators, grasstops, and influencers who are connected to alopecia areata to help increase visibility and advocate for key issues related to alopecia areata.
2. Strategically build federal champions with Members of Congress, legislative staff, federal agencies, the executive branch, and key decision-makers to ensure NAAF’s voice is heard in relevant policy discussions.
3. Develop and implement a comprehensive legislative strategy to advance NAAF’s policy goals at the federal level; determine and support strategic needs in state policy engagement activities.
4. Prepare and present policy briefs, position papers, and testimony to educate lawmakers on alopecia areata and related issues.
5. Monitor and analyze legislative and regulatory developments and provide oral and/or written testimony related to healthcare, disability rights, and funding for research that impacts the alopecia areata community.
6. Represent NAAF in meetings, hearings, briefings, roundtables, and coalitions, advocating for increased awareness, funding, and support for alopecia areata.
7. Ensure NAAF’s compliance with all lobbying disclosure and reporting requirements both federally and in states where NAAF chooses to engage in policy.
8. In partnership with the Chief Growth Officer, monitor, advise, coach, and collaborate with staff managing NAAF’s grassroots advocacy program to ensure its continued growth and effectiveness.
9. Collaborate with NAAF’s President & CEO, Chief Growth Officer, Chief Mission Officer, and key knowledge and opinion leaders to identify and implement NAAF’s future strategy for annual Capitol Hill days and visits to local district offices.
10. With CEO and CGO, engage and steward NAAF’s advocacy funding partners and influential donors.
11. Work closely with NAAF’s executive team and Board of Directors to align advocacy efforts with the organization’s broader mission and strategic goals and develop a growth plan for government affairs activities.
12. Collaborate with internal departments to provide legislative updates and support grassroots advocacy efforts.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in coalition building, lobbying, legislative affairs, government relations, and policy advocacy. Preference given to those with direct experience in healthcare or disease-specific advocacy, specifically with a national voluntary health agency.
• Bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, law, or a related field.
• Proven ability to build relationships and influence policymakers, funders, and volunteers with a track record of successful outcomes from issue campaigns.
• Demonstrated understanding of the federal legislative and regulatory processes, with experience working directly with Congress, the executive branch, and federal agencies.
• Passion for NAAF’s mission and a commitment to improving the lives of those affected by alopecia areata.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex policy issues into actionable proposals and messaging.
• Strong organizational and leadership skills, with experience managing projects and teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with health policy, disability rights, or medical research advocacy is a plus.
• Ability to travel (up to 35%) in support of NAAF’s programs and priority activities.

Compensation:

Competitive salary and benefits package.

Benefits/Why you should apply:

• Be a part of a mission-driven, dynamic, and passionate team.
• Build on an existing advocacy program and transform the outcomes to benefit the alopecia areata community.
• Join the largest alopecia areata advocacy organization in the world with four decades of success as the voice of the alopecia areata community.
• Competitive compensation.
• Comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision.
• Generous paid time off.
• 401(k) retirement plan.

Application instructions:

Apply by emailing a cover letter and resume to careers@naaf.org. Submissions without a cover letter will not be considered. Applications submitted through online applications such as LinkedIn will not be reviewed.

NAAF encourages individuals of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds to apply for this position. NAAF is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

This is a full-time, remote position, but candidates must reside in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

NAAF has a distributed workforce and is based in Northern California.